Chris Bryant MP Topics

Labour MP for Rhondda. Member of the Commons Media Select Committee, where he raised concerns about News International journalists making payments to police officers. Bryant told the Inquiry that, shortly after this, his phone was hacked by the News of the World and Bryant was reported by several papers to have used a gay dating site. In 2012, he received £30,000 damages from NI.

Witness statement, dated 24 July 2012

Bryant describes how, as a member of the Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport he prompted Rebekah Brooks (then Wade) to admit News International reporters had paid police officers. He subsequently experienced to hostile political coverage and then the Mail on Sunday and News of the World published an embarrassing story about his private life. Further hostile reporting and intrusion followed and he alleges they involved illegal activites by reporters. He describes the Murdoch media organisations as operation ‘by the twin use of fear and favour’, and he was out of favour. Bryant also relates how he went to court to force the police to release details of the hacking of his phone, stating: ‘’I now formed the opinion that there was a real possibility that the Metropolitan Police and News International were effectively so close as [to] be colluding with one another.’ He further recounts initiating several parliamentary debates on these matter, and he observes that justice in privacy matters depends upon access to justice. Finally, he criticises the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).

Witness Statement

Bryant describes how, as a member of the Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport he prompted Rebekah Brooks (then Wade) to admit News International reporters had paid police officers. He subsequently experienced to hostile political coverage and then the Mail on Sunday and News of the World published an embarrassing story about his private life. Further hostile reporting and intrusion followed and he alleges they involved illegal activites by reporters. He describes the Murdoch media organisations as operation ‘by the twin use of fear and favour’, and he was out of favour. Bryant also relates how he went to court to force the police to release details of the hacking of his phone, stating: ‘’I now formed the opinion that there was a real possibility that the Metropolitan Police and News International were effectively so close as [to] be colluding with one another.’ He further recounts initiating several parliamentary debates on these matter, and he observes that justice in privacy matters depends upon access to justice. Finally, he criticises the Press Complaints Commission (PCC).